Daily Inspiration Quote by James E. Rogers

Rogers isn’t taking a swing at sticker shock; he’s puncturing the comforting myth that “affordable” is the same as “accessible.” The line is built like a simple syllogism, but its real target is rhetorical: it drains the moral credit institutions and policymakers claim when they tout low tuition as proof they’ve “solved” higher-ed equity. If the student can’t cover even a reduced price, the discount is cosmetic. The gate still has a lock; it just looks kinder.

The quote’s power comes from how it shifts the unit of analysis from the institution to the household. Tuition is the public-facing number schools can advertise and politicians can celebrate. “Source of funds” is the messy, private reality: wages, family wealth, unstable jobs, caregiving burdens, immigration status, credit access, transportation, housing, food. Rogers compresses all of that into one blunt phrase, forcing the listener to admit that tuition policy is only one line item in a much larger ledger.

Subtextually, it’s also an indictment of reform-by-headline. Low tuition can function as reputational laundering, letting systems claim fairness while leaving the underlying financing structure untouched: inadequate grants, regressive aid, limited work opportunities, and the quiet expectation that families will fill the gap. Rogers, as an educator, is arguing from the front lines of enrollment and persistence: the obstacle isn’t just getting in; it’s staying in when cash flow collapses. The sentence is less a complaint than a demand to talk about money the way students experience it - as liquidity, not ideology.